Is it wrong to withhold stars because the book was creepy? Frida is Chinese, a frazzled mother of toddler Harriet. Harriet’s white father, Gust, left them for another woman when the baby was only a couple of months old. Frida is struggling with baby blues and loss when she has what is often referred to in the novel as “a very bad day.” She leaves baby Harriet home alone while she escapes for a cup of coffee and decides to stop at her office for some work. This neglect did not cause any apparent harm to Harriet, but the authorities converged, peppered every room but the bathroom with surveillance cameras and removed Harriet to live with Gust and his girlfriend. The social worker assigned to the case was inept. Supervised visits, if they happened at all, were a disaster. Finally, Harriet is enrolled in a new experimental program for bad parents. This year-long program is voluntary, but anyone who leaves it will definitely lose all chances of regaining custody for their children. The program is punitive, more so for the participating mothers than the fathers.

Here’s where I got really uncomfortable with the story. Yes, the mothers were being taught to be better mothers, but the methods were cruel, the goals subjective. Rewards and rights, like video phone calls, were stingily bestowed and, more often than not, revoked. Week after week. To make matters worse, the negligent fathers in the counterpart of the program were not mistreated the same. The hopelessness, the cruelty to the mothers, the lack of compassion or concern for their mental health made for difficult reading. And I haven’t even touched on the dolls.

The book is well written and the story well told. If you like creepy dystopian books set in the here and now, you will like it. I chose to read this book offered by NetGalley in exchange for a written review.

This book was amazing, nail-biting, anxiety-ridden, and terrifying. I could not put this novel down. This is exactly the distopian-esque book I was looking for at the moment. Well done!

4.25 stars / This review will be posted on goodreads.com today.


Frida and her husband Gust have split. Gust finds himself in love with a young woman, Susanna. Frida harbors a lot of anger toward Susanna, especially when it comes to Frida’s and Gust’s daughter Harriet. Even more so, because Frida and Gust relocated to Pennsylvania to raise Harriet, and now Frida is alone in a city with no support system.

So when Frida has her ‘very bad day’ and leaves Harriet alone in her Exersaucer at home for two and a half hours, she feels justified by not taking blame and saying that she was simply overwhelmed. Now Harriet is in full time custody with Gust and Susanna, and Frida is off to spend a year in a training program to make her a better mother.

Jessamine Chan hits on so many frightening concepts of what can happen when the system takes over. Raising children is not a one-size-fits-all concept. This system of big-brother thinking they know what is best is very reminiscent of themes from The Handmaid’s Tale and 1984, but it’s also very different. Because in this scenario, we’re only addressing the “bad parents” not the entire population.

Very well written with situations we can all relate to as parents, I highly recommend this read. It’s long, but it flows really well. Delving into Frida’s history as a child and then a parent gives you sympathy for her situation, even when you know how horrible her crime is. Enjoyed is probably the wrong word for this book, but it’s a good one.

Jessamine Chan's first novel left me chilled by the potential control a government might have over parents. Frida, newly separated from her husband, Gust, tries to keep her life together and take care of her young daughter, Harriet. Frida works part-time at Penn, which disappoints her parents, both academics, who supported her through college and graduate school. Harriet makes one big mistake on a bad day, and she pays for it through government intervention.

Frida loses custody of Harriet and is court-mandated to enroll in a one-year program for rehabilitation as a mother. Gust and his girlfriend, Susanna, gain full custody of Harriet while Frida is sent to what seems like a facility equal to being in prison. There is no choice, and Frida travels with other women to a small college campus that has recently closed.

Frida's life at rehabilitation offers her harsh recriminations along with uniforms, a roommate who has also lost custody of her child and strictly enforced rules. Frida must attend classes, do work duties, and attend sessions with a counselor. The women are monitored constantly with cameras everywhere. Frida has to earn the privilege of speaking to Harriet, and any behavior deemed negative results in a loss of that phone call.

The classes and role-play the women go through are punishing. Every woman has her limits tested. Frida's only reason for staying is a judge who will determine if she retains her parental rights or loses them permanently at the end of a year. I was horrified by the whole idea of what Frida and other mothers suffered through in this dystopian government interference. I couldn't help but think back on my experience as a mother and what mistakes I made that could have earned me a place in this bleak society created by JC.

Frida's character was rich with background and genuine reactions to what she had to endure to get back to her lovely Harriet. I was exhausted by the end of the book and filled with rage at government intervention of this extreme. I pray it never comes to this in our society. The School for Good Mothers is an intense debut novel, and I look forward to reading more of Jessamine Chan's work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Schuster for the ARC.

The School for Good Mothers
By Jessamine Chan

This book seems to strive to emulate "The Handmaid's Tale". Unfortunately, instead it reminds me most of "Gone Girl". The storyline is excessive to the point of being unbelievable. There is not one character in the book from Frida Liu, the deficient mother, to her ex-husband, Gust and his girlfriend, Susanna, who inspires any empathy whatsoever.

I must confess that I did not finish reading the book because I got bogged down in a story full of characters that I just couldn't care about.

Talk about good timing! This author certainly has her book coming out at the right time and place in light of the dystopian world events presently occurring. In the book, as well as the world, personal liberty is threatened along with an extreme over-reach by Government.
The heroine, Frida, makes an error in judgment and leaves her toddler alone, and is reported by neighbors to the "authorities" who know better about how you should raise your child. She is "reeducated" at the School for Good Mothers. Of course, this is decided by Government and the standards are much higher for Mothers than Fathers.
I am happy this book is coming out when it is as current events (coerced vaccinations including young children) make it all the more believable.
This book will make you angry and also make you think. How much of your personal freedom and civil rights are you willing to give up because the Government says it's in Society's best interest?

Holy cow. The best kind of dystopian book where details are almost plausible - where hints of truth are within the world depicted. This novel is about motherhood and being a woman and control and so much more. I can’t stop thinking about it. Highly recommend - an excellent choice for a book discussion group. Read this one. Heartfelt thanks to Simon and Schuster for the advanced copy. I’m so grateful.

An imaginative plot and good writing made this an easy to read story but the dystopian aspect had me hating the action! It is just too close to a real possibility to accept as fiction. The middle part of this novel does drag but the ending is appropriate.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC to read and review.

While I’m typically a fan of dystopian novels, this one ended up being a bit too dark for me. It reads like a bleak, highly twisted version of 1984 but centered around parenting. The book raises some interesting thoughts about cultural narratives on what “good” parenting is but my sensitivities made this reading experience a bit difficult. I can imagine this being a great fit for other readers who like darker thrillers and dystopian novels!

This book is effed up, yo.  I am far from understanding what Frida, the protagonist, experienced in this remarkable debut novel.  1984 + The Handmaid's Tale + a  Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day = a novel that kept me reading with destroyed cuticles and much yelling at the words in front of me.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

To say I am obsessed with this book would be an understatement. I don't often read novels about motherhood but I dove into The School for Good Mothers and Nightbitch simultaneously. What a ride. While two very different plots, the two unique views of the darker sides (and possibilities, and magic, and realities) or motherhood were fascinating.

This book is weird and austere and brilliant and scathing. I loved it. Each sentence felt necessary and succinct. I will definitely be recommending this one.

This is a heartbreaking novel with a very interesting premise. I have seen this compared to Handmaid's Tale and I would agree with that comparison, but this is a unique and original story. One can only hope that we never reach the near future environment that this novel takes place in. However, the themes are very apropos to present day. I was rooting for Frida throughout and I'm sure that most readers will be too, but you will have to read this one to find out she fares through her harrowing experience.

T he School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

#eightyeighthbookof2021 #arc

CW and spoilers: suicide and suicidal ideation, crimes against children, child neglect and injury, violence, robot children

Frida is the mother of a little girl Harriet, and one day, she leaves her alone for a few hours. As a result, she is sent to a court ordered reform school where she will be taught how to be a good mother. The book follows Frida to this school where we see her journey towards redemption and reconciliation with Harriet.

Holy crap. I read most of this book as a bundle of nerves. Frida’s school sentence is a year. In what world is it a good idea to remove a parent from their child’s life for a year, even to educate them? Who’s to say what makes a good mother? There is so much about this school that makes no sense to me and I would love to read more about the world in which this school exists. I read much of the book in disbelief and the author kept me on the edge of my seat. There is so much I want to say but I don’t want to spoil it for others. I couldn’t put this book down and I haven’t stopped thinking about it in the three days since I finished it.

Thank you to @netgalley and @simonandschuster for the advance copy. (Pub date 1/4/22)

Whew, what a ride. I completely understand how this falls into the “If You Liked ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’” category. I felt invested in the outcome, was doing much internal urging and rooting for Frida, the protagonist. It’s difficult to write much without giving things away…. This is a compelling, difficult to categorize book.

The School for Good Mothers is a chilling yet compulsive read, a dystopian novel which at first doesn’t seem like it, so that I was gradually more concerned and shocked by what was happening to Frida.

After leaving her young daughter in the house for a couple of hours Frida loses her parental responsibility, and her right to see her daughter. At first, while we sympathise with the protagonist we also clearly see her neglect. As the novel progresses the writer explores the whole concept of motherhood, and raises questions about the state’s role in parenting, race, how data is used, the family court system and expectations of mothers bs fathers.

I won’t give any more away, but while the basic plot is simple this is a fantastically complicated book, which gripped me from early on and which will stay with me.

I could not put this book down and read it as fast as I could. I've never read anything like it before. I brutal portrayal of what happens when the mothering police crack down on mothers who have neglected or abused their children - - and everyone gets the same punishment regardless of the severity of their infractions. Except, of course, the errant fathers, who get much better treatment and outcomes. The author makes you feel every emotion of the mothers as they are separated from their children, watched 24/7 via cameras, brain scans, tests and surveillance, and forced to practice the state's version of essential mothering skills on robotic children programmed with artificial intelligence. The heartache and deprivation they face is heartbreaking and their fates seemingly determined by whim. It is a cautionary tale about child rearing philosophies and government interference run amuck. Readers will be on the edge of their seats wondering how it will end. I'm not telling.

Chilling and unnerving, this dystopian novel turns the overwhelmed mom trope upside down- in this world when mom has a bad day, her re-education can be terrifying. This novel is immersive and difficult to put down. An interesting premise that's well executed. A great read overall

Oh my goodness! This book has me at a loss for words! The deep commentary on parenthood, Frida's emotional journey, the dystopian worldview. Loved it so much, I grabbed a physical copy!

Thanks to the author, Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an ARC.

When a book makes you think beyond what you know and take a deeper look into another's situation, you know it is going to be fantastic! While I'm not a mother, I'm surround by them daily hearing the struggles of what it takes to be a mom. I admire these women! Jessamine Chan delivers a unique and heart wrenching story about Frida Liu. I'm floored at how much of an emotional rollercoaster this book took me on but so thankful to have read it.

With an intriguing cover and even more ominous synopsis, I was looking forward to The School of Good Mothers. Narratives about motherhood usually strike a chord with me, and I quickly dove in.

Frida is struggling. Her husband has left her, her job isn't fulfilling--nor is it good enough for family--and motherhood has been far from the fairy tale that Hollywood made it out to be. In a sleep-deprived haze, she makes a mistake and ends up being sentenced to enroll in an immersive program designed for bad mothers. What follows is a dark, witty, yet often disturbing exploration of the expected perfection of motherhood as Frida navigates her new reality.

This book.

I went into this without really knowing what to expect and I'm glad I did. From page one, I followed Friday through her internal reflections on feeding, sleeping, and raising a baby with little to no support as this terrible event occurs. You want to say this could never happen, but at the same time, the edge of realism is sharp and ever-present. Similar to Handmaids or Vivarium, Frida is given impossible standards and forced to comply or risk losing the only thing in her life that gives her fulfillment.

The story on its own is interesting, but this is definitely a book where the bigger-picture concept is one that can't be ignored. From the constant surveillance to the lack of ownership to the very real fears that women face, I was engrossed in the commentary and the questions Chan raised but also had to step away from this after every few chapters to take a breath. I think many reader who have ever been on the receiving end on Mom Judgment will relate to the characters in this book, and I wouldn't be surprised if this gets picked up by book clubs for the social issues discussion alone. Identity. Race. Socioeconomic status. Gender. All of these are addressed within the parameters of this Big Brother-esque world.

For fans of Handmaid's or quiet suspense with a sci-fi edge in the vein of Vivarium or Inspection. The School of Good Mothers is an insightful read that packs a punch.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for sending an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.